Waste disposer and splash guard therefor



April 18, 1961 J. P. GREENE WASTE DISPOSER AND SPLASH GUARD THEREFOR Filed June 30, 1958 INVEN TOR. JOHN P. GREENE BY I 0% I ATTORNEYS WASTE DISPOSER AND SPLASH GUARD THEREFOR John P. Greene, Denville, N J assignor to National Rubber Machinery Co., Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 30, 1958, Ser. No. 745,355

12 Claims. (Cl. 241-1005) The present invention relates generally as indicated to a waste disposer and splash guard therefor, and more .inserted in the sink drain flange actuates the motor convtrol switch and closes the comminuting chamber in the disposer except that water is capable of flowing from the sink past the stopper to assist in the comminuting operation and to flush the comminuted waste to the sewer. For examples of that general type of waste disposer see patents to John Drew, Pat. Nos. 2,642,232 and 2,657,397. As evident, such stopper as employed in the waste disposer of the type referred to forms a devious annular water flow passage so that when the stopper is inserted into operating position, it constitutes a suitable splash guard to prevent the splashing water and partly comminuted waste in the disposer housing from splashing upwardly out of the disposer and through the sink flange. However, because the inserted stopper is utilized for the energization of the disposer motor, this type of stopper controlled disposer is essentially a batch type machine wherein the comminuting chamber is loaded with waste while the stopper is withdrawn, the stopper is inserted and turned (turning locks the stopper against withdrawal) to energize the disposer motor, and the stopper is turned and removed to deenergize the motor and to permit loading of the next batch of waste to be ground.

In order to meet customer preference there has been developed the so-called continuous feed disposer in which the disposer motor is energized and waste is continuously inserted into the comminuting chamber without the bother of having to repeatedly turn and withdraw and insert and turn a control stopper as aforesaid when the quantity of refuse to be ground is greater than the capacity of the comminuting chamber.

Hitherto, one of the major difliculties encountered with such a continuous feed disposer has been the provision of an opening in the top inlet of the disposer through which waste material can be easily inserted and which, at the same time, prevents the partially ground waste material and flushing water from splashing upwardly therethrough. A conventional method of accomplishing this is to insert in the disposer inlet opening a radially slit rubber-like disc or splash guard having a plurality of I segmental flexible fingers extending radially inward and water into the disposer housing to assist in the com- I minuting action and to flush away the comminuted waste.

In other words, if the opening through the splash guard 2,980,351 a ted Apr, '1 1. 1

were made of relatively small size so as to minimize the degree of splashing therethrough, then the opening is too small to pass an adequate flow of water into the disposer housing for proper comminution and flushing. On the other hand, if the opening through such slit splash guard were made of size sufficient to permit plentiful flow of water into the disposer housing, then there is excessive splashing of water and waste out through the opening.

Accordingly, with continuous feed disposers equipped with deformable slit splash guards of the character just referred to, it has been found necessary to provide a stopper assembly which has a baffle that is in the path of the water splashing through the splash guard opening.

With the foregoing in mind, it is one principal object of this invention to provide a waste disposer that has a simple unitary splash guard which not only effectively eliminates splashing of water from the disposer (even without any kind of stopper at all) but, at the same time, permits free flow of flushing water therethrough from the sink into the comminuting chamber of the disposer.

It is another object of this invention to provide a splash guard for a waste disposer which is constituted by deformable members that are both vertically and circumferentially offset, said members insofar as splashing is concerned, lying in the upward path of the splashing fluid and, insofar as flow of flushing water is concerned, defining large, free flow passages for the flow of flushing water from the sink into the disposer housing. In addition, the deformable members aforesaid are readily deformable for introduction of pieces of waste of all sizes and shapes into the disposer.

It is another object of this invention to provide a disposer splash guard that is reversible and readily replaceable.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical cross-section view of the upper portion of a waste disposer having the splash guard constituting the present invention in the feed opening thereof;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the splash guard;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said splash guard; and

Fig. 4 is a cross-section view of the splash guard showing the manner in which the deformable members thereof are deformed to permit insertion of large pieces of refuse that are to be comminuted in the disposer.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, S represents the bottom portion of a sink showing the portion thereof which is formed with a drain opening 1 from which the waste disposer assembly 2 is suspended.

In the embodiment of the invention shown for purposes of illustration herein, the suspension means comprises a sink flange 3 which overlies the sink drain opening 1, as shown, and which extends downwardly through said opening. The lower end portion of said sink flange is formed with a conical seat 4 with which the seat 5 of the removable sink stopper 6 is adapted to be engaged when it is desired to use the sink for retaining water therein as for instance, when washing dishes. The stopper 6 is shown inserted in its grinding position with the protuberances 7 engaged with seat 4 to define therewith flow passages for flow of water from the sink S into the comminuting chamber 8 f ed inthe disposer housing 9. As will become evident, the stopper 6 need not be used at all during the grinding operation.

t Ad acent thelower, end' portion of said .sink flange 3 there lsforrned a peripheral groove in which is disposed a'snap' ring 10 which, as now tobe described, serves to support the disposer housing 9. .The disposer'housirig 9 is provided with a feed opening ll 'at its upper end and terminates in a radially extending flange 12 about wihch is disposed a rubber or rubberrlike. grommet:14 having an inwardly extending conical portion adapted to make fluid-tight contact with the exterior conical surface of the lower end portion 'of the sink flange 3 and also,

with the tapered mouth of the housing. .The grommet 14 aiso serves'as a silencer in that it minimizes the trans- IlllSSlOH of d sposer vibration andgrinding noises to the sinkS. A first flanged metal stampinglS overlies the grommet 14 andhas an inner edge portion that overlies the snap ring 10. Disposed underneath the grommet is another flanged stamping 16 and as shown, the/screws 17, usually three in number, in threaded engagement with stamping and in conjunction with the lock nuts 18,

are efiec'tive to draw together said stampings 15 andf16.

the housing Sand grommet 14 shoulder 23 in the housing 9 define an annular groove therebetween in which the splash guard 25 constituting the present invention is'removably fitted. a

' As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and also Figs. 1 and 4, 'the splash guard 25 comprises an annulus of rubber-like material engaged in the annular recess aforesaid. Ex-

, tending'inwardly from the periphery of the splash guard 25 are vertically spaced apart series of bottom fingers26 and top fingers 27 lying in parallel horizontal planes. 7

The top series of fingers 27 are circumferentially ofiset V with respect to the bottom series of fingerslfiso that when viewed from the top, for example, as in Fig. 2, there is defined a substantially'closed area to eliminateupw ard splashing of flushing water and partially comminuted waste from the comminuting chamber 8 in the disposer housing 9. v t

In the example shown, these series of fingers 26 and 27 are of segmentalshape and the spaces 26 and'27' therebetween'are also of segmental shape, thevertex V angles'of the fingers 26 and 27 andofthe spaces 26' and 27 therebetween being equal.' However, it is. obvious that the top series of segmental fingers 27 may circumferentially overlap the segmental spaces 26 between the bottom series of fingers 26 as by making the vertex angles of the fingers 27 greater than the vertex angles of the segmental spaces 26. In that case, the bottom series of fiingers 26 likewise will circumferentially overlap the segmental spaces 27' between the top series of fingers 27 and, therefore, even upward angular splashing of the flushing water from chamber 8 will be prevented.

' If, after a time, the fingers 26 andv 27 of the splash guard 25 tend to'droop downwardly it is asimple matter to remove the'splash guard 25 from the disposer2 and to turn it over or to replace it. 7

In any event, it can be seen that when the disposer 2 4 V is etfectively prevented from chamber 8 of housing 9 splashing upwardly past the splash guard. V

In Fig. 4 is shown how the fingers 26 and 27 of the splash guard 25 can easily be deformed to insert large pieces of refuse into the disposer housing 9. After the refuse has been shoveddown into the comminuting chamber 8, the fingers 26 and 27 will snap back to their horizontallpositions as shown in Figs; 'j1 ,and 3' to thereby effectively prevent splashing .of water upwardly out of the disposer housing 9. Thus, .theldisposer l may be continuously operated to .comminute large batches of waste, 'and as the comminutingoperation proceeds, additional waste may be inserted through the splash guard 25.

This is in contrast with the, stopper'controlled disposers in which it is necessary to shut off the disposer motor to withdraw the stopper from the sink flange, and

to load the disposer with a small batch of waste to be Lground The stopper is then reinserted and turned to energize thedisposer motorand'to lock the stopper in place. 1 V 7 Itis to be observed that even while refuse is being shoved through the splash guard 25, the fingers 26 and T27 effectively prevent splashing. in their deformedcondition and yet flushing water'maycontinuously flow into the disposer housing 9. Thus, it is unnecessary tointerrupt the disposer operationwhile loading-refuse or waste thereinto.

The splash guard 25 herein also to some extent functions as a silencer to render the operation of the disposer 2 quitesilent. f L j Other modes of applying'the principle of the-invention may be employed, change being made asregards the details described, providedthe features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of' such, be em- 7 of a sink flange extending downwardlyl through, the sink drain opening; a waste disposer suspended from said sink flange and having an'inlet openingwhich, together with said sink flange, defines apassage for introduction of waste and flushing water into said disposer; ganda splash V guard extending across said passage, said splash guard Y waste introducted comprising a'plurality of vertically and circumferentially offset resiliently deformable members which defiriecotresponding pluralities of vertically and circumferentially offset openings therebetween through which flushing water may freely gravitate from the sink into said disposer, said deformable members lying in the upward path of splashing water and waste in said disposer to thus prevent splashing into the sink and being deformable by pieces of into said disposer through said sink flange. V

2. In a sink-mounted waste disposer, the combination of a sink flange extending downwardIythi-ough the sink drain opening; a -waste disposer suspended from'said sink. flangefand' having an inlet opening whichgtogether with said sink flange, defines. a passage for introduction of waste and flushing water into said disposer; and a. splashguard extending across saidpassage', said splash A guard comprising series of vertically and circumferentially offset resiliently deformable members of segmental shape lying in thejupward path of. splashingwatertand waste is in operation flushing water freely flows into the cham-' flushing water is thus freely flowing past the splash guard 25. the water and partially comminuted refuse'in the in said disposer'to thus prevent splashing into" the andbeing deformable by pieces of waste introduced into said disposer through said sink .flangep 3. In a sink-mounted wastedisposel the combination of asink'flange extending downwardly through thejsink drain opening; a waste disposer suspended from said sink flange and having aninlet opening which, together with said sink flange, defines a passage for introduction of waste and flushing Water into said disposer; and a splash guard extending across said passage, said splash guard comprising series of vertically and circumferentially offset resiliently deformable members extending radially inward and having inner axially deformable ends and which define corresponding series of vertically and circumferentially offset openings therebetween through which flushing water may freely gravitate from the sink into said disposer, said deformable members lying in the upward path of splashing water and waste in said disposer to thus prevent splashing into the sink and being deformable by pieces of waste introduced into said disposer through said sink flange.

4. In a sink-mounted Waste disposer, the combination of a sink flange extending downwardly through the sink drain opening; a Waste disposer suspended from said sink flange and having an inlet opening which, together with said sink flange, defines a passage for introduction of waste and flushing water into said disposer; a splash guard extending across said passage, said splash guard comprising series of vertically and circumferentially offset resiliently deformable members which define corresponding series of vertically and circumferentially offset openings therebetween through which flushing water may freely gravitate from the sink into said disposer, said deformable members lying in the upward path of splashing water and waste in said disposer to thus prevent splashing into the sink and being deformable by pieces of waste introduced into said disposer through said sink flange; and a. removable stopper insertable in said sink flange in either of two positions to seal the sink drain opening or to block said opening against introduction of pieces of waste into said disposer.

5. In a sink-mounted waste disposer, the combination of a sink flange extending downwardly through the sink drain opening; a waste disposer suspended from said sink flange and having an inlet opening which, together with said sink flange, defines a passage for introduction of waste and flushing water into said disposer; and a unitary splash guard extending across said passage, said splash guard comprising an annulus of elastic material and integral series of vertically and circumferentially offset resiliently deformable members which define corresponding series of vertically and circumferentially offset openings therebetween through which flushing water may freely gravitate from the sink into said disposer, said deformable members lying in the upward path of splashing water and Waste in said disposer to thus prevent splashing into the sink and being deformable by pieces of waste introduced into said disposer through said sink flange.

6. In a sink-mounted waste disposer, the combination of a sink flange extending downwardly through the sink drain opening; a waste disposer having an inlet opening which, together with said sink flange, defines a passage for introduction of waste and flushing water into said disposer; suspension means connected to said sink flange and to said disposer for suspending the latter beneath the sink; and a resiliently deformable splash guard extending horizontally across said passage and including a plurality of segmental members that are resiliently deformable for introduction of pieces of Waste through said passage into said disposer, said members, in their undeformed condition, lying in generally parallel vertically spaced horizontal planes that are disposed in the path of upward splashing of water and waste from said disposer but defining openings for free gravitation of flushing water from the sink into said disposer.

7. In a sink-mounted waste disposer, the combination of a sink flange extending downwardly through the sink drain opening; a waste disposer having an inlet opening which, together with said sink flange, defines a passage for introduction of waste and flushing water into said disposer; suspension means connected to said sink flange and to said disposer for suspending the latter beneath the sink; and a unitary resiliently deformable splash guard extending across said passage and including an annulus and radially inwardly extending members that are resiliently deformable for introduction of pieces of waste through said passage into said disposer, said members, in their undeforrned condition, lying in the path of upward splashing of water and waste from said disposer but defining openings for free gravitation of flushing Water from the sink into said disposer.

8. A splash guard for a waste disposer comprising an annulus, and axially spaced apart and circumferentially offset top and bottom series of resiliently deformable members lying in substantially horizontal planes and extending radially inward toward the center of said annulus, said series of members defining therebetween correspond ing top and bottom series of circumferentially offset openings through which water freely gravitates, the top series of members overlying the bottom series of openings whereby the former prevent upward splashing of water past said splash guard.

9. A splash guard for a waste disposer comprising an annulus, and axially spaced apart and circumferentially offset top and bottom series of resiliently deformable members having free axially deformable inner ends for insertion of waste therepast, said members lying in substantially horizontal planes and extending radially inward toward the center of said annulus, said series of members defining therebetween corresponding top and bottom series of circumferentially offset openings through which Water freely gravitates, the top series of members overlying the bottom series of openings whereby the former prevent upward splashing of Water therepast.

10. A splash guard for a waste disposer comprising axially spaced apart and circumferentially oifset top and bottom circular series of resiliently deformable members lying in substantially horizontal planes and extending radially inward, said series of members defining therebetween corresponding top and bottom series of circumferentially offset openings through which water freely gravitates, the top series of members overlying the bottom series of openings whereby the former prevent upward splashing of water therepast.

11. A splash guard for a waste disposer comprising axially spaced apart and circumferentially offset top and bottom series of resiliently deformable segmental members lying in substantialy horizontal planes and extending radially inward, said series of members defining therebetween corresponding top and bottom series of circumferentially offset openings through which Water freely gravitates, the top series of members overlying the bottom series of openings whereby the former prevent upward splashing of water therepast.

12. A splash guard for a waste disposer comprising circumferentially offset top and bottom series of resiliently deformable members lying in substantially horizontal planes and extending radially inward, said series of members defining therebetween corresponding top and bottom series of circumferentially offset openings through which water freely gravitates, the top series of members overlying the bottom series of openings whereby the former prevent upward splashing of water therepast.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 968,462 Glazier Aug. 23, 1910 2,787,423 Moore Apr. 2, 1957 2,793,373 Ewing May 28, 1957 2,834,554 Bebinger May 13, 1958 2,897,835 Philippe Aug. 4, 1959 

